We Must Have Been In Love
by kairoso
Summary: She was lost in her very own shadows, but he held a light to guide her through. AU, iroh ii/asami
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: I own nothing from the lok/atla universe.

AN: hi readers! this is my first attempt writing a full length story of a pairing that i simply adore. the plot mainly follows the storyline of the korra finale except rewritten to include my own headcannons. the romance doesn't develop until later on in chapter 5 and onwards. thank you for reading and commenting and favoriting. enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_I wish you didn't have to see me like this._

_._

_._

Streaks of tousled hair clung to her face and her lips (her lip gloss sure was annoying during times like these) with wet droplets sliding down her sticky forehead, only further highlighting the significant effort she put in to fight. The midday air was chilly and loud with booming explosions and desperate calls of camaraderie for help or trouble but for her, all she could feel was the sweat in her left palm slipped underneath the Equalist glove and on her back, black cloth sticking to her skin. _How long will it take, _she thought, _before this is all over? _A quick glance upwards and Asami could see the sun high up in the air, though mostly covered by clouds; it had only been a couple hours since the war commenced, much less time than Asami originally thought.

"There are too many Equalists," she grumbled as she looked ahead in the horizon: Equalists gathering up in front of the warehouses, some flying off in airplanes to attack the fleet of the United Forces, and the rest slaving away to Amon and Lieutenant's orders. Asami was usually not one to complain but the last remnants of hope for the war were carried by her comrades General Iroh and Bolin and also Mako and Korra somewhere off facing Amon – and she held on tightly to this glimmer of hope for it was all that she had left.

"So what's our plan of attack?" Bolin, standing in the back, placed a hand on General Iroh's shoulder.

Iroh shrugged Bolin's hand off and pointed to the nearby airbase. "Our plan is that we are marching in and destroying all the airplanes we can to prevent the Equalists from reaching Commander Bumi's fleet. The United Forces are not prepared to deal with the new high speed aircraft. We don't want to risk anything."

"So basically there is no special plan?"

"Sounds great," Asami nodded impassively, the fake enthusiasm in her voice very apparent but she still gave Iroh a courteous smile and she walked towards the airbase with him following closely behind.

The truth was that being closer to the airbase only meant one thing to her. Asami let out a small exasperated sigh; _it's time to face my father_. Her green eyes glinted with determination but all of that was overcast by the question of doubt in her mind. She didn't want to defeat the Equalists and confront her father Hiroshi Sato who had betrayed her in blind vengeance for her mother's death. No, _no_, of course she did. She wanted to. She _had_ to. But she was scared. In fact, she was terrified. The last confrontation (when she found out the truth) left her promising herself that she never ever _ever_ wanted to see her own father like that again. The intense look in his eyes that day never brought any fulfilling resolution to the question _why_?

Behind, Bolin turned behind to face Naga, the polar bear dog. "Stay here," he ordered the pet, and motioned again for her to sit down when Naga moved forward to follow him. "Stay . . . Good girl!" When the polar bear dog finally obeyed him, Bolin trailed off in the same direction Asami and Iroh headed.

"Hm. Weird." Asami narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the surrounding area right outside the barriers to the Equalist airbase. "I would have thought that my dad would put an electrical fence around to keep intruders out. I guess not." She searched around for any fence posts but there were none. A few seconds later, she let out a small sigh of relief. "For a moment, I thought we _really_ would have been electrocuted . . ."

"Please stay alert, Miss Sato."

"_General_ Iroh, you can call me Asami, and I _am_ alert – OOF!" The first attack by the Equalists caught Asami by surprise. Her father had taught her self-defense and some fighting moves when she was younger; although her father certainly did not intend Asami to use her fighting skills for _this _purpose, Asami secretly thanked her father under her breath. Despite being a nonbender, Asami still proved herself a worthy opponent.

Several minutes passed by as the fighting ensued.

"Get help! Get help!" the Equalist subordinate screamed at the top of his lungs to the others behind him. Suddenly a massive sea of men and women appeared wearing the same black uniforms, their faces hidden by the masks.

Asami glimpsed sideways at the other two. Iroh and Bolin were firebending and earthbending somewhere nearby trying to take out as many Equalists as they could; she could see both fire and rock being hurled around violently. Turning her head away, she pivoted to stand face to face with the enemy and readied herself in her fighting stance, knees bent at shoulder's length apart with her right leg rested slightly in front of her left. When the enemy plunged towards her, Asami ducked, dodging the dropkick aimed at her face and instantly reciprocated the attack. Using the Equalist glove that she wore, she took a firm grasp at the Equalist's wrist and electrocuted him.

Light green eyes dropped down to her glove. "Ironic how useful this has been in fighting against you guys," she murmured, clenching her fingers together, and the tips of her mouth ever so slightly curled upwards at the thought of the power she held.

Bolin squinted, thick brown brows drew together. "There's just too many of them! I don't know how much longer we can hold them off, much less get to the planes." Boulder after boulder he threw, but after each rock there always seemed to be an Equalist to replace the one knocked down.

"Just keep fighting," Iroh coolly replied. His smooth voice commanded confidence but a quick exchange of looks with Bolin showed that he was as uncertain as the earthbender was. Iroh turned the other way, his eyes widening in shock. "Asami! Watch out!" He cursed violently and leapt for her. Strong arms punched the air, shooting wild flames out.

Combat with the Equalists proved to be difficult. Chi-blockers were tricky to deal with; they couldn't get too close to the chi-blockers since the risk of being temporarily paralyzed was too great, yet these chi-blockers were always approaching and trying to invade personal space. And being electrocuted just plain hurt.

Iroh scrambled in front of Asami but there was no hope anymore. They were surrounded and in defeat, gave each other pitying looks.

"You should just surrender yourselves," the Equalist nearest to them sneered, his voice ringing with bitterness. A few of them in the back chided similar comments.

"Amon is going to destroy you benders!"

"Hey, hey, now!" Asami scowled. She jerked away from Iroh and stomped up to face the Equalist, hands clenching furiously into fists. "I'm not even a bender. Amon can't _unbend_ me because I'm not a bender!"

The Equalist stared blankly at her, completely disregarding her statement. "I'm sure Mr. Sato, _your father, _will be pleased to see you."

"Asami, I don't think now is the time for this." Iroh reached for her wrists and pulled her back gently.

She glared darkly at the Equalist, gritting her teeth. "Don't even mention – AHH!" The immense impact of the sudden electric shock left her paralyzed, sending chills straight up her spine and sharp bolting pain all over her limp body. Immediately, she collapsed to the ground.

"Asami!" Within a second, Iroh's face twisted into despair, cautiously eyeing the electrified kali sticks in front of him. In a desperate attempt to evade capture, he shot out more flames with his hands but there was no use. He didn't even have enough time to reach down to lift Asami up. He met the same fate Asami had.

_Collapse_.

* * *

_Ugh. _The pain from the shock was overwhelming; she had to struggle with even an action as insignificant as opening her eyes. Everything was so . . . so blurry and disoriented.

Flickers of sunlight. Black masks. White snow and the scent of evergreen trees.

_Focus_, she told herself and the word rang through her head like the chime of an old bell. She could feel the rough patches of the ground, some pebbles here and there, and the jagged discomfort of ropes tied too tightly around her wrists as the Equalists dragged her and unconscious General Iroh away. She could hear the soft slight buzzing of the airplanes distantly flying off for Republic City and the low chatter of Equalists discussing what to do with the two prisoners.

A large growl distracted Asami. _Naga! _From afar, she could somewhat make out the obscure faces of Naga, Bolin, and perhaps even little fire ferret Pabu. Thankfully, Bolin was safe and had managed to escape. She had wondered what happened to him. Bolin waved at her, yelling, "I'll come back for you!" before riding away on Naga's back, his voice echoing through the mountains.

Asami turned her head. Slightly startled by the closeness of Iroh's face, she noted how handsome he looked and how peaceful he seemed. It was the first time she realized just how attractive he was. She admired him for some time, but good thing he was unconscious because she'd feel so embarrassed if she were ever caught staring at his face. She definitely would not let that happen and shook away the thought.

She tossed her head back and closed her eyes.

Only the thoughts of confronting her father remained. Her heart was racing. Her breathing cut into short, abrupt breaths. Every inch of her body tingled with fear, the hair on her skin prickled with apprehension, and her stomach twisted into tight knots that could never be undone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Thank you all for joining me on this historic occasion."

Amon's voice rang loudly through the pro-bending arena. Large crowds gathered around cheering and clapping, all anxiously awaiting and wondering what their leader would do next. Posters of him in his mask hung around the auditorium walls at every corner. The bold texts of the word "peace" was proudly presented along with Amon's mask and ironically symbolized the Equalist's agenda of wiping out the art of bending.

Korra looked over at Mako and nodded. They had managed to sneak in dressed in Equalist uniforms and masks to hide their identity.

"When I was a young boy," Amon spoke. All eyes fell on him and the only voice left in the room was his, "a firebender attacked my family! It left me scarred."

A collective gasp echoed through the crowd.

"Ever since then, I've wanted to equalize the world."

"You're a liar!" Korra took off her mask, bringing attention to herself as Mako followed suit. "Your real name isn't even Amon; it's _Noatak_!"

The audience gasped again. Chit-chatter rumbled in the building.

"Stay calm, everyone," Amon remained unfazed but the eyes behind the mask narrowed. "Let's hear what the Avatar has to say."

"Amon has been lying to you all." She turned to face the people and pointed at Amon accusingly. She projected her voice louder, hoping that her revelations and her status as the Avatar would bring people to see the truth and stop rallying as Equalists. "Amon has been using bloodbending to take people's bending away! He is a _waterbender_!"

Immediately, Korra could sense the confusion below. Questions of "_what is this_?" and "_is she telling the truth_?" repeatedly passed down to one another. The crowd looked with vacant eyes at Korra and then Amon, and then back and forth, expecting a response.

The Equalist Lieutenant glanced askance at Amon, eyebrows knitted closely together, nose scrunched up. "What is this nonsense?"

Amon's voice hardened. "Desperate Avatar, making up stories about me is a pathetic last resort."

"No," she interjected, determined to reveal the truth, "Amon's family was never attacked by a firebender. His father is Yakone, and his brother is Councilman Tarlok!"

Korra looked over at Amon, hoping to get a reaction out of him. However, he stood there starring intensely back at her, unmoved by her accusations. He lifted an arm up, captivating the attention of the crowd again.

"What an amusing tale . . . But I will show you the _truth_."

* * *

"How are we going to get out of here?" Asami asked, struggling against the harsh blistery ropes that tied her back-to-back with the general. The rope was so tight against her chest and arms that she could barely move at all.

"I don't suppose you know how to metalbend."

"Remember?" Asami raised an eyebrow, even though she knew that Iroh couldn't see her face expression. "I'm a nonbender."

Iroh pouted dejectedly. "I guess we'll have to wait until someone comes to rescue us or if something happens, we might be able to escape."

"Unlikely," Asami muttered under her breath. She let out a huge sigh and leaned her head against Iroh's back, remembering how she had just been in jail recently after being arrested by Councilman Tarlok. He had wrongly accused her, along with several others, of being an Equalist. She looked straight ahead at the dark nothingness, only prison walls that surrounded her and the dim light that casted shadows on her face. "My life has turned around for the worst . . . I feel miserable right now."

Iroh could feel the weight of her head against his upper back, "Then would you like me to cheer you up?"

"And how would you do that?" Asami mused, "We're tied down. You're not going to suddenly jump up and start dancing and telling me jokes to make me laugh, are you?"

"Only if you want me to."

Asami smiled upon hearing his response. "While you're at it, please also massage my back and serve me ice coffee," she teased.

He chuckled. "Yes, _princess_."

"So why don't you tell me about yourself, _general_?" Asami blinked, realizing that she barely knew anything about him. "What do you do for fun? What's your life like?"

Iroh lifted his chin. "I like to drink tea and play pai sho."

"That's it?" She giggled. "Sounds like the life."

"Between being the general of the United Forces and being the Firelord's son, I have a lot of duties to attend to," Iroh explained as she nodded behind his shoulder understandingly. "What about you? Why do you hate your life so much?"

Asami bit her lip. "I don't hate my life. It's just . . ."

A pause.

"It's just that . . ."

Another pause.

Iroh looked thoughtful and then cleared his throat. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to –"

"I want to tell you. _But I don't want you to pity me_."

"I promise I won't."

"My boyfriend, Mako, left me - well, we kind of did break up - but still, he left me for the Avatar, Korra. I like Korra, and . . . I'm really happy for them. I shouldn't be bitter." She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and tilting her head downwards. Asami was glad that they were back-to-back so he couldn't see her solemn face. "Sometimes I just don't know anymore."

She exhaled sharply and continued on, "And my father. He's the worst one, really. He turned out to be an Equalist! He worked behind my back, built a secret underground factory to make Equalist weapons, and turned against me and my friends."

Iroh's eyebrows drew together; he definitely did not imagine that this girl would have such a problematic life. He asked quietly, "Do you still love your father?"

She hesitated. "He is still family, after all."

"Don't worry too much," he told her, "You're a strong girl."

Asami smiled, genuine as always. She had ordered him not to be sympathetic because she didn't want to be seen as anything less than _strong_. Yet she hadn't told him how fearful she was to face her father again, something she wished that she never had to do . . .

She sat there on the cold floor tiles, wondering incredulously how she could spill most of her life issues to someone who had been a stranger to her until now. It probably was the need for someone to listen to her – and also the slight attraction she had for the general. She was in fact, thankful for the chance to be stuck in prison, in a very weird and ironic way. (_Perhaps her life wasn't so bad. She could get used to this – leaning against Iroh and talking to him and all. She could get used to his company._)

* * *

"_I will show you the truth_."

Amon lifted up his mask, revealing his face for the first time to his supporters. Patches of discolored dark red marks ran across his face. His burnt skin resembled ripples of water. It was fairly obvious that he had been scarred by a firebender.

Korra's jaw dropped, standing in silence and shock. _How could this be? _She didn't understand this. At all. After everything she had learned from Noatak (about Yakone, about bloodbending, about their childhoods and upbringing), she had thought that _for once_ she would be one step ahead of Amon. Nothing made sense.

"What?" Mako and Korra looked at each other in confusion.

"The Avatar is lying!" the crowd roared. Korra could feel the people's anger. The auditorium was filled with people shouting hateful words, crossing their arms or waving their arms wildly, and frowning their eyebrows.

"What?" _No, no, no. This can't be happening. _She took a few steps forward, pointed at Amon again, and desperately called out again, "He _is_ a waterbender!"

Still, no one bothered with her statement – the angry shouting resumed.

"No one believes me." She backed up, turning to face Mako. Clearly, she had not thought out the plan properly. What was she expecting? To just point out that Amon was a waterbender and expect the rest of the rallying Equalists to believe her? She shook her head, defeated. She had no proof.

"C'mon," Mako tugged on her arm, "It's time for us to leave now. We can't make them believe us if they don't want to."

As they headed outside, Amon's voice interrupted them. "I don't think you will want to miss the main event, Avatar."

"And what might that be?"

"Today," he announced to the crowd, both arms in the air as if he were welcoming her, "the Avatar will be _de-bended_."

Something shone in Korra's eyes.

_Fear._

* * *

"It's nice to see you again."

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, becoming louder and louder.

Both Asami and Iroh turned their heads to face the man walking towards their cell. She squinted and gasped quietly.

It was unmistakably him. She could recognize the short stocky build of him, taking a few steps forward, his circular glasses glinting in the dark, dark gray hair swept over to the right side.

". . . _daddy_?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

She froze.

Thousands of people in the arena cheered wildly in excitement for Amon, their Equalist leader; for they knew that debending the Avatar would be their greatest achievement yet. They had already captured the renowned metalbender, former chief of police Lin Beifong as well as four members of the United Republic Council, including Councilman Tarlok, and many others. But the Avatar was on a whole other level; she was a physical incarnation of the spirit of the world and embodied the power of the four elements.

Her debended would signify the rise of nonbenders and rupture the balance between the four nations.

Her debended would – _no, she would never allow that to happen. _She didn't even want to think about it. Bending was everything, and everything was bending.

"The Avatar needs to be reminded of the power I possess," Amon stated, staring directly at her.

Korra clenched her hands into tight fists, feeling the sweat on her palms. She was nervous, but she wouldn't (_couldn't_) allow herself to be. She steadied her breath. She would _never_ show fear.

She looked behind her shoulders, noticing the Equalists already creeping up behind her and Mako from where they stood on the platform in the arena. She _had to_ act fast. But all she could think about was attacking Amon straight on. Her mind was blank; she had no plan and no time. Suddenly, Mako attacked Amon with an electric shock, sending it straight out from his two fingers pointed at him.

Amon rolled to the side, dodging the attack which sent out clouds of black smoke when the lightning hit the stage. A few screams erupted from the crowd.

Korra looked over at Mako who returned her glance with a nod. She was certain his eyes were reassuring her that everything would be okay. _Just follow me._

In a second, both of them were running sideways on the wall towards the stage, holding fire in their hands. They jumped off at the edge, shooting ample flames at each Equalist protecting and fighting for Amon. Their moves were synchronized and precise, almost like a beautiful dance.

Despite the gracefulness, firebending was harmful and brutal, alluring to watch yet dangerous to touch. Many of the Equalists were quickly knocked down, burnt out by the fiery flames. (Korra had also snuck in some earthbending during their fight too.)

The rest of the auditorium fell into silence, its emptiness caused by the chaotic people running out of the building as hastily as possible in terror. They were fearful of bending and the possibility of getting hurt.

"What are you going to do now?" Korra asked archly. "Not going to _bloodbend_ me, Amon?"

She supposed that he wouldn't dare touch her with his bending - at least not when the Equalists were there. He wouldn't risk losing his supporters during such a crucial moment.

Amon gave no response and hurriedly exited the room into the hallways where they could no longer see him anymore. The lieutenant in front curled his lips, holding his kali sticks up. He took a step forward. The look on his face said that he was ready to ensnare Mako and Korra.

"Go," Mako ordered, "I'll catch up later."

Korra nodded, heading off into the same direction as Amon while Mako attacked the Equalists, distracting them from chasing Korra.

"Where could he be?" she muttered as she poked her head through each door along the hallway. But time and time again, each room was empty. There was no trace of Amon at all.

The thought of looking for Amon alone unnerved her and she wished she had more courage to prove that she was a worthy Avatar. Even when she knew the truth, there was always a burning sensation at the core of her heart, fear seeping through her chest. The question she feared most – _what if her bending was taken away_ - echoed in her head, leaving her to wonder if she was as brave as she pretended to be.

A couple minutes later, Mako found Korra in the hallways, reaching her left shoulder with his arm, turning her around to face him.

She breathed in and out slowly. She pursed her lips at first then slightly opened her mouth to speak. Her eyebrows furrowed and she couldn't decide whether her next words were more infuriating or relieving. "He disappeared."

* * *

"I have been waiting for this moment."

Silence passed, and Hiroshi stood outside their cell looking impassively at his daughter. Asami couldn't tell the emotions behind his vacant eyes. The hollowness of him felt so unfamiliar.

"I want to talk to you alone," he continued saying, his eyes never leaving hers.

Asami could see the two Equalists standing behind her father, entering the cell. They held their kali sticks close to her and Iroh's bodies as they untied the rope freeing Asami and then retying it to strap Iroh down. She was escorted outside; the Equalists guarded her closely, cautiously not underestimating her abilities.

She gave one last uneasy glance at Iroh before leaving - she thought she saw him mouth the words _be safe_ to her, but perhaps it was only her imagination.

Then, Asami reluctantly followed her father down the dark corridor, a million thoughts flashing in her mind. They entered a small conference room with no windows and a large table separating her and her father, the two Equalists securing the entrance by the door.

"You can sit down."

Asami remained standing rooted to the ground.

"Do you want anything to drink? Some tea perhaps?"

"Can we get to the point?" she snapped. She was frowning at him. "What do you want from me?"

Hiroshi stiffened in his chair. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, exposing the wrinkles on his forehead and along his eyes. The strands of white and gray hair were no longer nicely combed to the side and instead stood messily on his head.

For the first time, Asami thought her father looked old, very very old. He looked old and tired and confused, all at once. "Asami … please, Asami," his voice was broken. _Was he pleading to her?_

She was stunned, speechless. She hadn't expected anything like this: a pitiful and desperate man standing before her, weak at the knees. _Was this part of an act?_ She almost felt bad for being rude to her own father.

"_Dad, stop!" She ran over to her father despite her boyfriend's plea for her to stay behind. Her eyes widened in disbelief at her father, positioned to electrocute her friends. She didn't understand … her own father was an Equalist. "_Why_?"_

"_Sweetie, I wanted to keep you out of this for as long as I could. But now that you know the truth, please forgive me." _

_Her face distorted into confusion._

"_These people … these benders … they took away your mother, the love of my life! They ruined the world!" he explained. "But with Amon, we can fix it and live in a perfect world together. We can help people like us, everywhere." _

"I only wanted to protect you." His voice was honest and genuine with all the love he had for his daughter.

"_Join me, Asami," he told her, handing the Equalist glove to her._

Asami bit her lip. "This isn't right though, any of this. You think going against the Avatar and ridding the world of bending will solve your problems?"

_Her hands were shaking._

"No, it won't," he admitted, "But please understand . . ."

"_I love you dad."_

He offered her a slight smile, but she stared back at him skeptically.

"When your mother died that night, I promised myself that I would prevent this from happening again to other families. I was so devastated by her loss," his sunken eyes gazed an eternity away, lost in his own memories of his wife. "Benders who abuse their powers, like the Agni Kai Triads, don't deserve their bending abilities. These people are only good for hurting other nonbenders like us."

"But what about the rest?"

"Benders are all the same!" he scoffed, his voice raising. "You don't think the Avatar abuses her power? You don't think that firebender boy you hang out with does the same? They all do."

She slightly nodded, uncertain.

"Oppression is everywhere. It starts with benders misusing their bending, destroying public and private property, hurting and mistreating nonbenders, and not thinking about the consequences of their actions," he stated with his arms crossed. "Not even Republic City cares about us! The United Republic Council consists only of benders, and we nonbenders don't even get a say in anything. Why do you think thousands of people have joined this Equalist movement? We are not bad guys. We are just people trying to fix oppression."

Asami remained completely silent and still.

"Our great leader has a vision for the future. Asami, don't you want to live in a world where everyone is finally equal?"

". . . I do."

_She desperately wanted to believe it, that she meant those words with all her heart. But it wasn't enough._

_She accepted the Equalist glove..._

"I'm doing this for all nonbenders, especially you and your mother," he looked into her soft emerald eyes, and said quietly, "and I want you to join me."

_...and electrocuted her father. _

A long pause passed by.

Hiroshi cleared his throat and motioned for the door. "I think it's time for you to leave. I've said everything that needed to be said."

Asami nodded, heading for the exit. She glanced back at her father who held their gaze for a second before he abruptly turned away. But one second was enough time to share the secrets of the world.

She already knew what his eyes said.

_Asami, do you love your mother?_

_._

_._

_Do you love me?_

* * *

Before she knew it, she was back in the prison cell tied back to back with General Iroh. She could feel the coldness of the floor tiles and the roughness of the rope through the light cloth of her clothes. She wondered how long they would have to stay there.

"Are you fine?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm great," she replied quietly, "I just –"

The sound of great roaring interrupted her. A giant white polar bear dog stood at the entrance to the hallway.

"Bolin? Over here!"

"Bolin and Naga to the rescue!" The polar bear dog rushed over to the prison cell holding Asami and Iroh. As Bolin climbed off, Naga destroyed the prison cell door, and Pabu climbed in and chewed on the ropes, freeing both of the prisoners.

"Thanks."

"Let's go. We still have some planes to destroy," Iroh rushed them as they exited the building and headed towards the airbase.

Once outside, they saw the last couple of airplanes taking off. Iroh easily took out a pilot as he flung the pilot out from the cockpit while Bolin destroyed a plane with the large, heavy boulders he threw at it.

Iroh turned around, noticing that Asami disappeared. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the silhouette of Asami following her father further into Equalist territory, her shadow running along the snow.

"Asami!" he shouted after her, confusion clouding in his eyes.

Bolin followed Iroh's gaze and bewilderment showed on his face. "Asami, where are you going?" he asked softly so that only Iroh heard, but he had a feeling that they both already knew the answer.

". . . I don't think she's coming back."

* * *

Asami shut her eyes and covered her ears; Iroh calling her name was the last thing she wanted to hear. Tears trickled down her cheeks unconsciously, blurring her view. An overwhelmingly melancholy drowned over her and she wondered why it felt so bad to do the right thing.

_I'm sorry._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I can't believe I let Amon get away!" Korra exclaimed. She slammed her fists against the wall, her fingers clenched against her palms so tightly that it left nail marks along her hands. Her face scowled in disdain, brows pulled closely together.

Mako shot her a sympathetic look, his golden eyes soft with understanding. He walked over and sat down on the bench next to her. "It's not your fault."

Korra shook her head sideways, teeth gritting and a dejected expression on her face. "I'm the Avatar. It _is_ my fault." She sighed, her hand wiping the side of her face. She felt like a failure. What use was it being an Avatar if she couldn't even accomplish anything significant? Half-baked Avatar, huh. "The longer we wait, the more people get hurt or get their bending taken away."

"I know, but there isn't anything we can do right now about it." He placed an arm on her back to comfort her but she shrugged it off.

"We need to find him soon," she pressed on.

"Don't worry, we will find him," he stated optimistically, though not entirely convinced by his own statement, "He's got to be hiding somewhere close in Republic City or at the Air Temple Island. Why would he run away?"

"Do you think we can get someone to tell us his location?" Bolin's voice popped up from beside the door.

Korra turned around to face him. "Like who?"

"Any of the Equalists."

"I don't think they would really tell us, Bolin," Mako replied quietly, looking at his brother. He admired Bolin for staying positive during a crisis such as this, but Mako thought his brother's efforts to solve their problems were fruitless.

"We can get the police to arrest them on conspiracy charges and then interrogate them."

Mako crossed his arms. Thoughts of former chief of police Lin Beifong, current chief of police Saikhan, and their officers came up, reminding Mako of the incidents that happened in Mr. Sato's secret underground Equalist factory and when Tenzin was almost captured. "The police are hardly effective anymore. Unfortunately, most of the metalbending cops were debended."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Korra shrugged. It's better to try than to not try at all, right? "But who are we going to arrest?"

"What about Mr. Sato?" Bolin asked softly, his eyebrows drawing together. "He's always out and about protesting for the anti-bending movement when he's not creating new weapons or machines."

Mako tensed at the mention of Mr. Sato. He glanced down at his feet, thinking about a particular ex-girlfriend.

They lapsed into silence.

"It's no use thinking about her right now." Korra lightly tugged on Mako's sleeve. She was sympathetic to his distraught feelings, but she knew now was not the time to deplore Asami's betrayal. She added, "And it's probably not what you think. She must have some reason or else the Asami I knew would never have gone with the Equalists and her father."

Bolin nodded in agreement, a large part of him wanting to believe Korra's statement. "Asami's a nice girl. She wouldn't want anyone debended."

Mako scratched his head, his eyebrows fixed in a frown. His intense golden eyes continued to stare at the empty space ahead. "I still don't understand why she would . . ." He thought aloud for a few moments. "I guess you're right, she must have her reasons."

"Come on," Bolin waved his hands in the air. "We still have other things to worry about, like getting Mr. Sato arrested and finding Amon."

"Maybe Mr. Sato will also lead us to Asami." Korra flashed Mako a radiant smile and pulled him up from the bench. "Let's go! We have no time to waste."

* * *

"Hello?! Anyone here?" Bolin's voice echoed in the desolate police station. There was only darkness until Bolin found a light switch by the entrance. He slowly walked in, noticing crinkled papers lay messily across the tables waiting for dust to collect. The building was the definition of bleak and abandoned.

"Wow, they're really all gone." Korra's eyes widened as sudden realization hit her mind. "Amon and the Equalists captured all of the police officers . . ."

"I guess so," Mako sighed.

"We need another way, then. This isn't going to work."

Mako nodded, looking around and familiarizing himself with the police station. He searched through the cabinets and closets, stopping when he found the right one. "Take this," he ordered Bolin, shoving a bundle of gray and green into his hands.

Bolin blinked. "What is this?"

"It's a police uniform," Mako answered simply, a sly smile slowly forming on his face.

"What for?"

"It's for you." Mako's face broke into a grin, and he laughed. _As if it weren't obvious enough_. "You get to play dress up and pretend to be a police officer to arrest Mr. Sato."

Bolin stared blankly at the uniform in his arms. "B-but," he stammered, "won't Mr. Sato recognize me though?"

"Out of the three of us, you're the least suspecting," Mako reasoned, nodding slightly as if he were marveling his own idea. "Mr. Sato knows Korra and I better than he knows you, since I dated Asami and Korra is the Avatar. Trust me, it won't be that bad. All you have to do is push Mr. Sato into the police car and then behind those bars. Use Earthbending if you have to."

"I think it's a great idea," Korra agreed. She slapped Bolin playfully on the arms and gestured to the clothing. "That, and it was your idea in the first place. I think it's perfect, Police Officer Bolin."

Bolin considered the plan. He shrugged, defeated, "Alright, alright."

"We'll need to get you a fake mustache. Put you under disguise," she added, exiting the building in excitement with Mako closely following behind as they waited for Bolin to get changed into the police uniform.

"A fake mustache," Bolin echoed.

* * *

"You are under arrest!" He pointed at the man standing in front of him. As expected, Mr. Sato was rallying for more Equalist supporters in front of the public right beside the small park, with Amon flyers and whatnot in his hands. Some of the pedestrians by the side watched the spectacle with widened eyes, while others rushed off trying to avoid trouble. "Hiroshi Sato, conspiring with the Equalists against the United Republic Council … you are in big trouble now!"

Hiroshi scrunched his nose in confusion, pushing his small glasses upwards with his hand. "Eh, what is this?"

"Shh, no questions allowed," Bolin pulled on Hiroshi's arm and handcuffed him, shoving him into the back of the police car.

"Wait," Hiroshi squinted, "you look oddly familiar –"

Bolin slammed the door shut and entered in from the other side. Korra, who was sitting in the driver's seat, turned around, smirking. "It's probably best to not ask any questions."

"Wha –" Before Hiroshi could say anymore, Bolin pulled out an Equalist glove and electrocuted him. He went unconscious immediately, his body slumping on the car seat and his head leaning to the side.

Hiroshi Sato sat in silence behind bars, his legs crossed and arms relaxed to his sides. He closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the three pairs of eyes staring straight at him from outside the bars. It was quite nerve wrecking to be stared down like that. His husky voice made a low growl, "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know where Amon is," Korra answered, her eyes narrowing. She glanced askance at him. He _had_ to know because if he didn't, then who would?All of their efforts would go to waste. When he didn't respond the first time, she repeated herself. "Where is Amon?"

"Look, I don't know," Hiroshi shrugged his shoulders innocently.

Korra frowned; she couldn't tell if he was lying or if he honestly meant what he said. Either way, she'd take no chances. She raised her voice, "Where is Amon?"

Hiroshi chuckled, ignoring her. He opened his eyes and leaned forward to look closely at Bolin, nodding his head in remembrance. "Ah," he stated musingly, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "you know I couldn't recognize you with all that fake facial hair."

Bolin grinned upon hearing what Hiroshi had to say. He pointed to Korra, "It was all her idea!"

Korra, however, did not find it amusing. She clenched her hands tightly into fists and looked ready to climb through the bars to punch his guts out.

"He's probably telling the truth. Maybe he doesn't actually know where Amon is," Mako stated thoughtlessly, then reached for Korra's shoulders to pull her slightly backwards.

She sighed, knowing that he was probably correct. She reluctantly headed out the door with Bolin, leaving Mako by himself with the prisoner.

There was a short silence before Mako finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Where is Asami?"

* * *

Iroh sighed. When Korra had told him the plans about dressing Bolin up as a police officer to arrest Hiroshi Sato, he simply nodded though he hadn't thought it would really work. Of course, he would respect her schemes like how his grandfather Firelord Zuko respected Avatar Aang's. When Korra had told him that their plan was successful in capturing Mr. Sato, Iroh sounded amused as he congratulated her. But then she told him that Mr. Sato knew nothing and Iroh's face fell for a split second.

Either way, Korra would take no chances – Mr. Sato would remain as prisoner until it was safe to let him free. And Iroh, as the general of the United Forces, had a duty to protect the innocent citizens of Republic City and was tasked to patrol the city at night, his subordinates duly doing the same.

"Don't wait for me," he ordered, ignoring the questioning face of the young soldier standing behind him as he wandered off alone, his eyes only focused somewhere far off at the stirring of darkness.

* * *

The sky seemed a bit too still for that particular hour and the night, too silent, she thought, as she snuck in quietly into the building, light on her feet. The dim moonlight outlined the small curves of her face, illuminating her delicate features with soft shadows. Her emerald eyes glanced around briefly to make sure no one was following her. The sudden sounds of footsteps approaching startled her. She jerked back almost instantly and turned her head around anxiously, trying to recognize who it was standing behind her.

She looked surprised. "Iroh?"

"I knew you were going to be here," he replied quietly, his light golden eyes flickering to her.

"So you stayed up just for me?" She almost smiled, lifting an eyebrow, "How nice of you."

"What are you here for?"

"You know what I'm here for."

There was a slight pause.

"Look," she crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You? Hurt me?" There was an air of feigning playfulness delivered by his voice, but he still eyed her cautiously; he knew exactly how damn well she could fight.

"Step aside, General."

"Take off your glove."


End file.
